Beginner Course – Phase 1: Editing Troop Trees

Lesson 1: Understanding Troop Trees

Objective:

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Explain what a troop tree is and how it functions in Bannerlord.
Understand how troops progress through upgrades.
Recognize the importance of troop trees for gameplay, balance, and faction identity.
Identify troop trees in-game using the Encyclopedia.
Begin thinking about how to modify or design new troop trees in your own mods.

What is a Troop Tree?

In Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord, a troop tree is the visual and logical representation of how soldiers within a faction progress from basic recruits to elite warriors.

This tree begins with the Tier 1 recruit, usually marked by is_basic_troop="true" in XML. As troops gain experience from battles, they can be upgraded to higher-tier units by the player, using denars (in-game currency).

Each upgrade step is defined in the XML file spnpccharacters.xml using the <upgrade_targets> tag.

Real Example:

The Empire’s basic recruit is imperial_recruit. In-game, this unit can be upgraded to either:

imperial_infantryman (a melee path), or
imperial_archer (a ranged path).

Each of these has its own possible upgrades, eventually reaching high-tier units like imperial_legionary or imperial_veteran_archer.

Upgrade Paths and Structure

Every troop can have zero, one, or multiple upgrade targets. These are defined inside the <upgrade_targets> tag within a troop's XML block.

XML Example:

Each <upgrade_target> refers to another troop’s id value.

No upgrade_targets? That troop is the final form (elite unit).
One upgrade_target? A linear progression.
Two or more? The player can choose between multiple specializations.

This branching design introduces strategic decisions, both for AI factions and the player.

3. The Role of Troop Trees in Gameplay

Troop trees are more than technical definitions—they shape how each faction feels and performs in-game. Let’s break this down:

a) Faction Identity

Each culture in the game (Empire, Vlandia, Battania, Khuzait, Sturgia, Aserai) has a unique troop tree that reflects its historical and gameplay identity.

Empire: Balanced tree with strong infantry and good archers.
Vlandia: Emphasis on crossbowmen and noble heavy cavalry.
Battania: Strong ranged units (bows) and lightly armored skirmishers.
Khuzait: Dominated by mounted archers and light cavalry.
Sturgia: Heavy infantry and shock troops with axes.
Aserai: Mix of skirmishers and fast cavalry.

When modding, you can:

Reinforce these themes by enhancing certain units.
Break conventions and introduce asymmetry (e.g., giving Empire camels).
Create entirely new faction trees with unique strengths and weaknesses.

b) Player Progression

Players often start with weak recruits and rely on troop trees to grow powerful armies. A well-designed troop tree should:

Offer multiple paths (e.g., archers or infantry).
Reward investment with stronger units.
Introduce new roles at higher tiers (e.g., cavalry, shock troops, support).

Changing these elements directly alters how a faction plays.

c) Game Balance

Because all factions have troop trees, their combat viability and strategic depth depend on how those trees are structured. Editing stats, skills, and equipment without considering the whole tree may unbalance the game.

This is why understanding and testing changes to troop trees is essential. A poorly balanced troop tree can:

Make a faction too powerful in auto-resolved battles.
Make the player’s army overpowered too early.
Break progression logic if upgrade paths are missing or inconsistent.

4. How to View Troop Trees in the Game

You can visualize any faction’s troop tree directly in-game using the Encyclopedia.

Steps:

Start a game in Campaign or Sandbox mode.
Press the N key to open the Encyclopedia.
Navigate to the Troops tab.
Filter by culture (e.g., Empire, Vlandia).
Click on a troop such as "Imperial Recruit."
Click the “Troop Tree” button or locate the tree graphic on the page.

Tip: Examine the structure of different factions:

How many tiers?
How many branches?
When do cavalry units appear?
Which units are clearly stronger?

Taking screenshots or notes will help when planning your custom trees.

5. Activity: Compare Three Factions

Launch the game and pick three different cultures (e.g., Empire, Vlandia, Battania). For each one:

Identify the Tier 1 recruit.
Map out the troop tree until Tier 6 or 7.
Note when ranged and cavalry units appear.
Observe differences in branching (single-path or multiple options?).

This will give you a working mental model of how Bannerlord designs its faction trees and helps prepare you for editing them.

Upgrade Paths and Structure visual example

Imperial Recruit

Imperial Infantryman

└── Imperial Legionary
└── Imperial Archer
└── Imperial Veteran Archer

Imperial Veteran Infantryman

Recruit

Soldier

Archer

Veteran Soldier

Spearman

Expert Soldier

Beginner Course – Phase 1: Editing Troop Trees
Lesson 2: Basic XML Structure for Troops

Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

Recognize the key XML structure used to define a troop in Bannerlord.
Identify and understand the role of important XML tags and attributes.
Begin editing troop entries confidently, starting with small changes.
Understand how Bannerlord reads and uses this data to build in-game units.

Where Are Troops Defined?

All regular troop units in Bannerlord are defined inside the file:

.../Mount & Blade II Bannerlord/Modules/SandBoxCore/ModuleData/spnpccharacters.xml

This file contains hundreds of <NPCCharacter> blocks. Each block represents a single troop, including:

Recruits
Infantry and archers
Noble cavalry
Bandits, mercenaries, villagers
Lords and companions (we'll cover heroes later)

You will be editing or duplicating these blocks to create or modify troops.

Nested Tags Inside <NPCCharacter>

Now let’s look at what goes inside the opening and closing tags. This includes face, skills, upgrades, and equipment.

a) Appearance – <face>

Defines how the troop looks (age, facial features, etc.). For regular troops, this can be very simple.

In more advanced use, you might see:

You can copy the face section from other troops if you're unsure. Appearance affects immersion, not gameplay.

b) Skills – <skills>
Each troop has specific skills defined as:

These values influence how troops perform in combat.

Common skills for regular troops:

OneHanded
TwoHanded
Polearm
Bow
Crossbow
Throwing
Riding
Athletics

Try comparing multiple Tier 2 troops to get a feel for what values are typical. Values increase with higher tiers.

c) Upgrade Targets – <upgrade_targets>

This defines who the troop can become through upgrades.

Example:

<upgrade_targets> <upgrade_target id="NPCCharacter.imperial_infantryman" /> <upgrade_target id="NPCCharacter.imperial_archer" /> </upgrade_targets>

Use only one <upgrade_target> for linear trees. Two or more creates branching choices for the player.

d) Equipment – <Equipments>

This defines what gear a troop spawns with. Usually contains one or more <EquipmentRoster> blocks.